How have live-dealer casinos developed in recent years and how successful has the mobile space proven to be?
The niche of live games has been developing very rapidly. More and more operators want to be able to offer TV games to their players. If in 2015 there were only three to four games on the market, now we already offer 11 live games to our partners. This indicates growing popularity. Meanwhile, 90% of the turnover is provided by web and mobile devices, while only 10% is retail.
Do you think customers trust live casino to a greater extent than online slots or games?
The concept of live games means entertainment in which real dealers are involved real time in the game process. For this reason, players are 100% sure the outcomes are fair. The best way to prove legitimacy is providing live communication with the host, while TVs in the studio are visible on the screen broadcasting famous television channels.
How can live gaming advance further?
In the gaming area, there is a steady increase of mobile device use. In the near future, it is the use of smartphones that will influence the formation of user behaviour. Players prefer mobile applications because of their convenience and 24/7 accessibility in comparison to land-based casinos. In turn, the demand for dynamic content available at any time will gradually increase. Unlike scheduled sports competitions, live games may well satisfy similar demand in the future.
In parallel, there will also be emphasis on technological development. In the coming years, we will see quality improvement of streaming games and the advancement of VR (virtual reality) and AR (augmented reality) technologies.
What are the main challenges operators and suppliers face when it comes to live gaming?
The most important task for us is to introduce live games in different markets. Each region is unique in its own way, so you need to have a flexible approach to promoting your products there. Gambling operators from Europe and CIS are already well aware of our capabilities, and these are our main markets so far. Currently, we’re interested in making a big impression on LatAm, Asia and Africa.
Have graphics improved to be able to meet millennial expectations?
Millennials are always open to any new entertainment available in the market. Live games providers and other streaming companies will enhance image quality using VR, AR and animated elements to keep the millennials’ attention.
At the same time, the continuous development of graphics is interesting for players of all ages. A well-designed studio helps to solve the issue both aesthetically and informationally, thereby presenting more interesting content to the end user. This can even be compared to television, where new graphic technologies, for example, based on augmented reality, are gradually being introduced in programmes aimed at the widest audiences, such as news releases and weather forecasts.
